Method and apparatus for time-aware and location-aware marketing

ABSTRACT

A method of communicating inferred information to a wireless communication device user is provided. That method includes determining a location of the wireless device, inferring a likely interest of the user from the location of the wireless device, and transmitting data related to the interest to the wireless device. The method may also ascertain time at the location of the wireless communication device user and infer an interest of the user from the time and location of the user. In addition, the method may include inferences made from information related to preferences of the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/805,310 filed on Mar. 13, 2001, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,421,278 which claims priority from U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 60/188,887, filed Mar. 13, 2000, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the transfer of information to awireless communication device and, more particularly, to transferringinformation, inferred from the location of a wireless communicationdevice and/or the time at the wireless communication device, to thewireless communication device.

2. Description of the Background

It is known that processors may communicate with wireless communicationdevices. Such processors may include, for example, a mainframe computer,a mini-computer, a micro-computer, a personal computer having, forexample, a Microsoft® or Apple® operating system and a data storagedevice, or another device that is capable of storing and manipulatingdata. Such a processor may be connected to a public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN) to provide connectivity with other devices. In addition,wireless networks are commonly used to accommodate communication betweenthe PSTN and wireless communication devices. Such wireless networksinclude analog networks and digital networks utilizing any form ofwireless technology including, for example, CDMA and/or TDMA, and anyother radio network that employs intersystem messaging such as, forexample, an IS-41 (Interim Standard-41) based system. Wirelesscommunication devices that are capable of receiving and sending data, aswell as voice communication, are also commonly used in such a wirelessnetwork. Digital and analog cellular telephones are common examples ofsuch wireless communication devices.

It is also known to detect the position of an individual, vehicle, ordevice and to relay that position to a centralized database fortracking, providing emergency service, and the like. It is also known toprovide web pages in which the location of an individual, vehicle, ordevice is plotted graphically for regular observation.

A user of a wireless communication device is likely to travel with thewireless communication device and is furthermore likely to desireinformation about the area in which that user is currently positioned.The user may furthermore wish to have information pertinent to thepresent time of day. In addition, the user may wish to be provided withinformation that is targeted to the preferences of that user.

Moreover, it is desirable to offer products and services to potentialcustomers on a situational basis. For example, selling umbrellas whileit is raining may appeal (1) to people who have forgotten to bringumbrellas with them but who must be outdoors; and (2) to people who arereminded by the rain that they need a new umbrella. By contrast, it ismore difficult to sell umbrellas when the weather is dry.

Thus, a need exists for a system and method for providing a wirelesscommunication device user with information pertinent to the currentposition of the user. That information may include product and servicerelated information. Another need exists for a system and method forproviding a wireless communication device user with informationpertinent to the time of day at the location of the user. Yet anotherneed exists for a system and method for providing a wirelesscommunication device user with information targeted to the preferencesof that user.

Another need exists for a method and system of exploiting situationalselling opportunities in an electronic commerce setting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a particularly preferred form of the presentinvention, there is provided a method of communicating inferredinformation to a wireless communication device user. That methodincludes determining a location of the wireless device, inferring alikely interest of the user from the location of the wireless device,and transmitting data related to the interest to the wireless device.The method may also ascertain time at the location of the wirelesscommunication device user and infer an interest of the user from thetime and location of the user. In addition, the method may includeinferences made from information related to preferences of the user.

Thus, the present invention offers the feature of providing a wirelesscommunication device user with information pertinent to the currentposition of the user. The present invention also provides the feature ofproviding a wireless communication device user with informationpertinent to the time of day at the location of the user. In addition,the present invention provides the feature of providing a wirelesscommunication device user with information pertinent to the preferencesof that user.

The present invention also provides a method and system for detectingsituational selling opportunities and contacting prospective customersduring such situations. Accordingly, the present invention providessolutions to the shortcomings of prior wireless notification systems andmethods. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate,therefore, that these and other details, features, and advantages willbecome further apparent in the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying Figures, there are shown present preferredembodiments of the invention wherein like reference numerals areemployed to designate like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a model wireless network;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication networkconnecting a processor to a wireless device; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of providing inferredinformation to a wireless communication device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the Figures and descriptions of the presentinvention included herein illustrate and describe elements that are ofparticular relevance to the present invention, while eliminating, forpurposes of clarity, other elements found in typical processors,wireless communication devices 34, and communication networks. Becausethe construction and implementation of such other elements are wellknown in the art, and because a discussion of them would not facilitatea better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of thoseelements is not provided herein. It is also to be understood that theembodiments of the present invention that are described herein areillustrative only and are not exhaustive of the manners of embodying thepresent invention. For example, it will be recognized by those skilledin the art that the present invention may be readily adapted to sendingdata to a wireless processor or computing device communicating on awireless communication network in addition to a wirelesstelecommunication device. It will also be recognized by those skilled inthe art that a wireless device or a device connected to a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN) may act as an information originatingentity. Likewise, either a wireless device or a device connected to aPSTN may act as a message receiving entity which will be referred to asa wireless communication device in the examples provided herein.

Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings for the purposes of illustrating thepresent preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for thepurposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of awireless network 10 having interconnected network entities. That networkreference model 10 appears in Chapter-I (or Part-1) of revision-D of theIS-41 wireless intersystem operation standard. Revision-D of the IS-41standard is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Copies ofcurrent and previous revisions of the IS-41 standard may be obtainedfrom Global Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Sales-C303B,Englewood, Colo., USA 80112-9649. FIG. 1 and a description of thenetwork entities depicted therein and their interaction are includedherein as a general overview of a standard wireless network. The presentinvention does not necessarily utilize every network entity depicted inFIG. 1 and, furthermore, may utilize additional entities not depicted inFIG. 1.

The IS-41 standard is more recently referred to as a TIA/EIA-41standard, where “TIA” stands for Telecommunications Industry Associationand “EIA” stands for Electronics Industry Association. However, thefollowing discussion uses the designations IS-41 and TIA/EIA-41interchangeably. Although the discussion herein focuses on IS-41messages to accomplish wireless schedule notification, it will beunderstood by one skilled in the art that the methodology describedherein may be implemented with other non-IS-41 messages havingfunctionality similar to that described hereinbelow.

It is known in the art that IS-41 is the technical standard thatspecifies the network model, functions, protocols, and services thatprovide mobile telecommunications networks intersystem operations. TheIS-41 specification also provides a standard protocol for the operationsthat enable subscriber mobility between two mobile switching centers(MSCs) in a single wireless network or in two different wirelessnetworks operated by a single or two different service providers.Protocols used to communicate between a wireless device and anotherdevice are also known. In other words, the IS-41 standard specifies thenecessary signaling mechanism to accomplish seamless communication inthe mobile world. Following is a brief description of each of thenetwork entities illustrated in FIG. 1.

The network entities depicted in FIG. 1 include an anchor MSC 12, avisiting (or serving) MSC 14, PSTN 18, an intelligent peripheral (IP)20, a service control point (SCP) 22, a home location register (HLR) 23,a visitor location register (VLR) 24, and a line information database(LIDB) 26. These network entities represent functional blocks or unitsthat perform various logical functions that areimplementation-independent. In other words, one or more of theabove-mentioned network entities may be constructed in differentphysical configurations by different mobile service providers and,hence, the model shown in FIG. 1 is a symbolic representation offunctions that may be included on a wireless network and does not implyeither a specific physical implementation of a network entity showntherein or a specific interconnection between two or more networkentities shown therein. For example, the discussion below identifies theVLR 24 as associated with the anchor MSC 12 as well as with the servingMSC 14. The diagram in FIG. 1, however, does not show a direct physicalinterconnection between the VLR 24 and the serving MSC 14. The sharingof the VLR 24 may be possible, for example, when both of the mobileswitching centers 12 and 14 are operated by a common service provider.

It is therefore emphasized that the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is forillustration only. The network entities shown in FIG. 1 may notrepresent an actual physical connection, especially when call-routinginvolves many more cells and, hence, many more network entities, in awireless network. For example, in one embodiment that is not illustratedin the Figures, the serving MSC 14 may have its own HLR and VLR and maybe maintained by a service provider that is different from the serviceprovider maintaining the anchor MSC 12 and its associated networkentities. A service provider may furthermore choose not to provide allthe network entities or all the interconnections illustrated in FIG. 1in a given geographic area or cell. In addition, more than onefunctional unit may be implemented on a single physical device, or,alternatively, some functional blocks may represent separate physicaldevices. For example, one physical device may include the functionalityof the IP 20, HLR 23, and the SCP 22.

Each network entity is shown interconnected via interfaces representedby different interface reference points. For example, the anchor MSC 12and the visiting (or serving) MSC 14 are shown connected via theinterface reference point E, and the anchor MSC 12 and its associatedHLR 23 are shown connected via the interface reference point C. Otherinterface reference points are also illustrated in FIG. 1. Theseinterface reference points represent the point of connection between twophysical or logical network entities. A point of connection is definedby functional and signaling characteristics and may define theoperational responsibility of the interconnected network entities. Thus,the signaling characteristic of the B interface may be different fromthat of the T₁, interface, and the signaling characteristic of the Cinterface may be different from that of the D interface, etc.

It is noted that the terms “mobile subscriber”, “network subscriber” and“mobile user” are used interchangeably hereinbelow. A “mobilesubscriber” (not shown) may be a human individual who has subscribed toone or more mobile wireless services. The term “mobile subscriber,” asused herein, also includes a mobile service user who uses the subscribedwireless service(s) with a mobile telephone handset or with a computerequipped for wireless communication or with any other similar device.Further, “mobile communication” may include voice, data or any otherinformation communicated via a mobile telecommunications network.

The MSC is a functional entity that represents an automatic wirelessmessage switching system. An MSC may be distinguished from a mobiletelephone switching office, which refers to a physical wirelessswitching office including switching hardware, the physical building,the MSC, etc. An MSC is typically an interface for user traffic betweena cellular network, PSTNs or other MSCs in the same or other networks.An MSC provides basic switching functions and coordinates theestablishment of calls to and from cellular subscribers. Thus, an MSC isresponsible for various call processing as well as mobile subscribermobility management functions.

An MSC first receiving a call placed by a caller calling a mobilesubscriber may be referred to as the “anchor MSC” (e.g., MSC 12),whereas an MSC that completes the call by delivering the call to themobile subscriber may be referred to as the “serving MSC” (e.g., MSC14). The geographic locations of the caller and the mobile subscriber atthe time of call reception determines whether the anchor MSC 12 and theserving MSC 14 are the same or different.

The PSTN 18 may include a wire line telephone network carrying a callfrom an external network caller to a mobile subscriber or vice versa.The A_(I) interface represents an interconnection between the PSTN 18and a switching center in the mobile network, here, the MSC 12. The PSTN18 may include a digitally switched telephone network, a plain oldtelephone system (POTS), the Internet or other external networks,including a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) andanother mobile network. It is known that mobile networks are capable ofinteroperating with other networks (e.g., PSTN 18) to complete calls.

The IP 20 is a network entity that may be a server or any other databasecapable of storing data including, for example, caller-specificinformation stored in “mailboxes” and messages received from or to beforwarded to a mobile subscriber. The IP 20 also includes a processorthat interprets instructions which may, for example, be included in themessage or received from other network nodes and then executes thoseinstructions. In one embodiment, the IP 20 is part of the HLR 23. Inanother embodiment, a single server performs the storage function thatmay be performed by the IP 20 and the switching function that may beperformed by the MSC 12. Alternatively, the IP 20 may be an independentphysical entity in the wireless network. The IP 20 may also be able toperform multiple activities, e.g., activities similar to those performedby the SCP 22.

Interim Standard-41 (IS-41) for mobile telecommunications includes aShort Message Service (SMS), which is a wireless communication dataservice that is typically resident in the IP 20. Common communicationprotocols such as, for example, a standard pager protocol, the Internetprotocol TCP/IP, and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mayfurthermore be utilized to communicate information to and from the SMS.It should be noted, however, that a facility for converting messagesconforming to certain protocols may be necessary to convert the data toan SMS readable format. An SMS is a messaging service that providesstore-and-forward functions for the handling of short messages directedto or originating from the mobile subscribers. Thus, the SMS is able tostore data and deliver that data to a wireless communication device 34at a specified time. The SMS also has the capacity to compare an addressand sub-address received with a message to an address and sub-address ofa previously received and stored message and to replace the storedmessage with the new message or delete the stored message when theaddresses and sub-addresses match. In its most basic form, the SMSfunctions in conjunction with an originating Short Message Entity (SME)and a receiving SME. The originating and sending SMEs may be wirelesscommunication devices 34. Because the SMS is also compatible withpacket-switched networks, electronic mail services, paging services andother commonly used messaging services, however, one or both of the SMEsmay alternately be a processor, a personal computer, or another devicethat utilizes one or more of those messaging services.

A cellular wireless network may interconnect with a Signaling System No.7 (SS7) network as a backbone network to transport IS-41 signalingmessages through the mobile telecommunications network. SS7 packets maybe used to convey signaling information from an originating point to adestination point through multiple switching nodes in the mobilenetwork, which may encompass more than one wireless network operated byone or more service providers. SS7-based transactions may querydatabases and invoke functions at remote points throughout the mobilewireless network to establish and maintain calls and to perform reliablecall management functions. An SS7 backbone network may be owned andoperated by the same service provider that operates the interconnectedwireless network. Alternatively, a wireless service provider may, forexample, join an independent SS7 network provider to accomplish desiredcall routing. An SCP, for example SCP 22, is an end signaling point inan SS7 network that performs transaction processing of remoteoperations. The SCP 22 may support a database to perform the requiredoperations, e.g., processing of calling card information. As previouslynoted, the HLR 23 may perform as an SCP in a given wireless networkconfiguration.

The location registers, e.g., the HLR 23 and the VLR 24, are data-basedsystems that assist in controlling mobile subscriber services andcontain the records and stored information related to mobile subscribersof a particular mobile service provider. The location registers arequeried by other network entities to obtain the current status,location, and other information to support calls to and from mobileusers within the wireless network. Location registers may also containnetwork address translation information to assist in the routing ofcalls to the appropriate network destination.

The HLR 23 is typically a primary database repository of subscriberinformation used to provide control and intelligence in wirelessnetworks. The HLR 23 thus contains a record of subscriber informationsuch as features selected by the subscriber as part of the mobileservice plan (e.g., call forwarding, calling name service, etc.), statusof the subscriber (e.g., active, inactive, suspended service, etc.), thesubscriber's mobile directory number (i.e., the number a calling partyhas to call to reach the mobile subscriber), information about thecurrent geographic location of the mobile subscriber, etc. The HLR 23may be shared by more than one MSC 12 or 14. The HLR 23 is generallymanaged by the wireless service provider company and represents the“home” database of subscribers who have subscribed to the wirelessservice in that home area served by the wireless service provider.

The VLR 24 is a database that primarily maintains temporary recordsassociated with individual network subscribers. Thus, the VLR 24represents a “visitor's” database for mobile subscribers who are beingserved in a defined local area. The VLR 24 is also typically managed bya wireless service provider. The VLR 24 and the HLR 23 may be managed bythe same or by different wireless service providers depending on thecurrent geographic location of the mobile subscriber in the wirelessnetwork. The term “visitor” may refer to a mobile subscriber who isbeing served by one or more systems in the home service area, or amobile subscriber who is roaming in a non-home, or “visited,” servicearea (i.e., a service area of a service provider that is different fromthe entity from whom the mobile subscriber purchases wireless service).The VLR 24 generally contains subscriber location, status, and servicefeature information that is derived from the relevant HLR, here, the HLR23. The serving MSC 14 may access its associated VLR 24 to retrieveinformation therefrom for the handling of calls to and from visitingsubscribers. Similar to the HLR 23, the VLR 24 may also serve one ormore MSCs.

The LIDB database 26 is typically maintained by each telecommunicationsservice provider as part of its subscriber account management. The LIDBdatabase 26 may store caller-specific information (also interchangeablyreferred to herein as “calling name information”), e.g., the name of thecaller, the telephone number of the caller, etc. The LIDB database 26may be used, for example, when a call sent to a mobile subscriberinvolves the PSTN 18 as part of the call connection process. Thus, thecalling party information may be placed in the LIDB database 26 when acall is placed from the PSTN 18 to the wireless network. The externalnetwork, typically the PSTN 18, may store the calling name informationin the LIDB database 26 for a number of reasons including, for example,to validate an identity of the caller in the case of collect calls orthird party calls.

The present invention provides a method and system for communicatinginferred information to a wireless communication device 34. Theinference of the present invention may be a result of considering thelocation of the wireless communication device 34, the time of day atthat, location, and one or more preferences of the user of the wirelesscommunication device 34. The preferences may, furthermore, beestablished by, for example, a user providing preference information orby tracking user selections over time to determine preferences throughhistoric trends. The invention may operate to communicate information toa wireless communication device 34 only when that device 34 is operatingand may, furthermore, assume that a user is located in close proximityto the device 34 when the device 34 is operating.

Inferences may also be made based on information actively used by othersin the local area and/or information acted upon by others at a timeproximate to the current time. For example, if there is an accident,drivers in the local area may be providing information about alternativeroutes. Inferring a hidden surge in demand, the alternative routeinformation may be automatically pushed, or provided to, any customerwho is approaching the local area.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a system 30 of the present inventionfor communicating inferred information to a wireless communicationdevice 34. In the embodiment illustrated, the information originatingentity 32 communicates with an intelligent peripheral (IP) 20 through apublic switched telephone network (PSTN) 18 by way, for example, of amodem 36. The IP, in turn, communicates with a message receiving entity34 through one or more mobile switching centers (MSCs) 12 and a wirelesstransmission signal 38. Of course communication may be performed by analternative system utilizing, for example, a single server performingthe functions of the IP 20 and the MSC 12. As illustrated, one or morerelay stations 40 and 42 may be utilized to carry the wirelesstransmission signal 38.

It is possible to determine the location of the wireless communicationdevice by location information transmitted by a GPS enabled device or bytriangulating the location of the wireless device with respect to theRelay stations 40, 42 and 44. A short message service (SMS) mayfurthermore run on the IP 20 and may be utilized to pass locationinformation from the wireless communication device 34 to the informationoriginating entity 32 and to pass inferred information from theinformation originating entity 32 to the wireless communication device34.

The information originating entity 32 may include a web server 32, adatabase server 46 and a device for communicating with the Internet orPSTN such as, for example, a modem 36. The web server 32 may be anyprocessor-based device including, for example, a Sun E10K server.Likewise, the database server 46 may also be any processor based deviceincluding, for example, a Sun E10K server. The database server 46 mayinclude a data storage facility which may operate using, for example,Oracle, Sybase, or DD2. Information stored in the database may include,for example, location dependent user preferences, historical data aboutpast user selections and general user profile information. The web 46server may include a wireless application protocol server and may runweb server software such as, for example, Microsoft® IIS or NetscapeNES. The web server 46 may also run application software for processinglocation information received from a user requesting user informationfrom the database server and applying business logic for determining andproviding appropriate information to the user. The web server 32 mayconnect through a network such as the Internet which transports datareceived from the web server 46 to an interface that communicates with awireless network. That interface could, for example, be a wirelessapplication protocol gateway 48 operated by a wireless communicationprovider. That information may then be passed, for example, to the IP20.

The information originating entity 32 may, in another embodiment, beincorporated into the wireless network as a part of, for example, the IP20.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process 100 of communicating inferred informationto a wireless communication device 34. At 102, the location of thewireless communication device 34 is determined. In a certain embodiment,the current time of day at that location is established at 104 and thepreferences of the normal user of that wireless communication device 34are retrieved from a database at 106. At 108, an inference as tosomething in which the user may be interested is made based on thelocation. The time of day and/or preferences of the normal user of thatdevice 34 may also be considered in making that inference. Informationinferred from the location of the wireless communication device 34 andany time of day or user specific preferences that are available isforwarded to the user at 110.

The location of a wireless communication device 34 may be determined byany known method including by way of a global positioning system or“GPS” or by triangulation or other similar technologies using wirelesscommunication towers in the vicinity of the wireless communicationdevice 34.

In a first embodiment of the invention, wherein only the position of thewireless communication device 34 is used to make inferences, theinvention will infer from the location of the wireless communicationdevice 34 that the user may desire information related to that location.For example, if the invention recognizes that the wireless communicationdevice 34 is approaching a mall, the invention may transmit a list ofestablishments operating in that mall to the wireless communicationdevice 34. Moreover, the invention may provide additional levels ofdetailed information to the wireless communication device 34 as thewireless communication device 34 moves. For example, if the user of thewireless communication device 34 carries that device 34 into the malland approaches a store, the invention may provide information to thewireless communication device 34 regarding featured goods or specialpricing on goods sold by that store. If the user approaches a restaurantcarrying the wireless communication device 34, the invention may providea listing of menu items carried by that restaurant. If the userapproaches a bank, the invention may provide information regarding thelength of the queue in that bank and the estimated waiting time to beserviced by a teller as well as information regarding interest-bearingaccounts and loan rates in that bank.

An information service provider may be the operator of the informationoriginating entity 32. The information provided to the wirelesscommunication device 34 by the present invention may be gathered by theinformation service provider and placed in a database saved in a storagedevice coupled to a server such as, for example, the database server 46discussed hereinbefore. The information may be processed by applicationsoftware running on the web server 32. In a certain embodiment of thepresent invention some or all of the information to be provided to thewireless communication device 34 is provided by advertisers wishing tomake the user of the wireless communication device 34 aware of goodsand/or services available near the locale of the wireless communicationdevice 34. The information gathered into the database for provision to auser may be gathered from, for example, a search of static informationavailable in that location such as, for example, stores that are knownto exist in that area or services available in that location. Otherstatic information may be gathered from secondary sources such as thecommercial entity Infospace or a similar provider. Dynamic informationmay also be included such as, for example, weather data, traffic data,current waiting time for certain services, and current promotions beingoffered by merchants. Sources of such dynamic information may includeenterprises making that information available to the information serviceprovider. It will be recognized that the information service providermay charge a fee for inclusion of information related to an enterprise.Once the location-specific information has been stored in the database,it may be retrieved and transmitted to one or more wirelesscommunication devices 34 that have entered a specified area.

The specified area may have predefined boundaries such that when awireless communication device 34 subscribing to the information serviceof the present invention enters that bounded area the appropriateinformation will be transmitted to the wireless communication device 34.Of course, the service described herein may be transmitted to manywireless communication devices 34 in the same area or in differentareas.

Information to be sent to a wireless communication device 34 by thepresent information service may be transmitted to a SMS by acommunication protocol such as, for example, TCP/IP. The SMS may thentransmit the short message to the appropriate wireless communicationdevice 34. As will be recognized by one skilled in the art, the SMS maypass the information to the wireless communication device 34 immediatelyupon having capacity or may hold the information until a time specifiedin the short message passes.

In another embodiment of the present invention, time may be one of orthe only parameter from which an inference is made. Thus, when the timeof day at a wireless communication device 34 is known, the wirelessdevice 34 may be provided with suggested places to have lunch prior tonoon for example, or with alternate routes for commuting prior to 5:00p.m. Time may, for example, be assumed to be current time in the areacode in which the wireless communication device 34 is based.Alternately, where inferences are made from both location and time, timemay be determined for the current location of the wireless communicationdevice 34. It will be recognized that improved inferences may be made inmany cases where both time and location are known. For example, whereboth time of day and location are known restaurants open for lunch inthat particular location may be listed in the information provided tothe wireless communication device 34 at noon when lunch is often desiredand the listed restaurants may be limited to those near the presentlocation of the wireless communication device 34. Restaurants listed inthat example may include those within a predetermined area such as, forexample, one mile of the current location, or they may include thenearest restaurants up to a number limit such as, for example, twenty.That limit may be defined by the information service provider or theuser. If both location and time are known in the transportation routingexample provided previously, lesser traveled routes in the vicinity ofthe wireless communication device 34 may be provided, for example,between the hours of 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. when the user may be expected tobe travelling home.

Furthermore, the present invention may retain the location of a wirelesscommunication device 34 over a period of time such that, where thewireless communication device 34 is being transported not only would thecurrent location of the device 34 be known, but the direction in whichthe device 34 is moving may be inferred from the direction in which thedevice 34 has moved in, for example, the last five minutes. Thus, theposition of the wireless device 34 may be saved each minute, forexample, and the device 34 may be assumed to be moving linear to thedirection in which the device 34 has moved from a time five minutesprior to the current time until the current time.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, historical data maybe gathered and used to assist in creating inferences. For example, whena particular information set is provided to a user via a wirelesscommunication device 34, that user may be requested to make a selectionfrom the listed information. Thus, where, for example, restaurantselections are provided to a particular wireless communication device 34repeatedly and user selections are saved, the present invention may drawinferences from those selections. Where a user repeatedly selectsrestaurants offering French and Chinese food, the present invention maylearn that those food types are preferred and provide, for example,restaurant listings for all restaurants lying within one-quarter of amile of the wireless communication device's current location andrestaurants offering Chinese and French food within a mile of thelocation of the wireless communication device 34.

A user may indicate his preferences by selecting one or more of thechoices provided to him by the information service provider or anysubset of the information provided by the information service provider.For example, a user may select a particular type of restaurant from arestaurant listing. Alternately, the user may choose to see informationrelated to restaurants from a listing of, for example, restaurants,movie theaters, gas stations and banks. The user may furthermore requestthat a particular type of information such as restaurant information beprovided when the user is in a particular location or at a particulartime. Moreover, the user may request the different information such asnight club information be provided when that user is in a differentlocation.

To encourage a user to make selections from the listings provided tothat user who might otherwise choose not to take the time to make aselection, the present invention may provide additional informationrelated to a choice when that choice is selected. Thus for example,where a listing of restaurants is provided to a user and a particularrestaurant is selected, a listing of menu choices featured at thatrestaurant may be provided. The user will therefore be enticed to make aselection in order to discover additional information related to aparticular piece of information.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a profile of the normaluser of a wireless communication device 34 that includes preferences ofthat user may be stored in a database of the present invention andinferences may be made therefrom. Thus where a user indicates via hispreferences that he prefers French and Chinese foods, restaurantsoffering those kinds of foods may be emphasized as described in theprevious example. Alternately, where a user prefers to be provided withinformation related to traffic routing and is not interested ininformation related to restaurants, information related to trafficrouting may be provided to that user at all times of day and in alllocations and information related to restaurants may not ever beprovided to that user.

In another embodiment, the present invention comprises a computer systemthat collects information about the spatial location of a potentialcustomer at a given time, compares said temporal and spatial informationto a database of products and services, matches the aforesaidinformation with known data about the customer and offers the customerone or more products and services or suggests that the customer travelto or visit a nearby establishment at which such products and servicescan be obtained. In one embodiment of the present invention, thecustomer makes his needs known to the computer system by means of aninterface so the above matching may be done without reference topreviously known data about the customer.

The location of a customer can be obtained and transmitted to a computersystem in numerous ways. In one embodiment of the invention, thecustomer caries a global positioning system (GPS) receiver or drives avehicle having such a receiver. Information about the customer'slocation (for example, precise latitude and longitude) can then betransmitted to said computer system over the Internet, through wirelessmeans or via telephone connection. In another embodiment, the customercarries a cellular telephone that is either on or is in standby mode.The telephone remains in radio contact with the local cellular telephonenetwork, which is able to determine the customer location. The cellulartelephone network can then transmit the customer's position to saidcomputer system.

Time, another data element, is readily determined at the customer'slocation once said location is known.

Knowing the consumer's location enables the computer system to stand atthe ready to assist the consumer with any query about the existence ofnearby goods and services or with help in the event of any emergency,such as the individual falling ill or becoming the victim of a crime. Inthe event of illness, medical personnel can be alerted by the system asto the location and identity of the victim. The wireless communicationdevice may also transmit information regarding the victims medicalhistory or any other information related to that user. In the event of acrime, the police can be given a precise location to which to respond.

Time information can be used, for example, so that only stores that areknown to be open at the moment will be recommended to the consumer.

If the individual desires a particular kind of food, the system canprovide a list of restaurants offering that type of food within a threeblock walk. If the individual wants to buy a specific product, he can beinformed as to which stores in the neighborhood carry the product, atwhat price, and whether or not it is currently in stock. The latter typeof query can be answered by the system in real-time by looking up storesin an on-line (e.g. Internet) index and scanning their productofferings. If there is no indication whether the item is in stock, thestore can be contacted directly by the system, or the user can be put intelephone or other contact with the store directly.

In the event the individual wants to make a purchase, the system canretain necessary financial information, such as credit card numbers,which can be furnished to the store by the system.

The service to be offered may be no more than the provision ofinformation to the user, for a fee or otherwise. For example, the usermay wish to know the arrival times of buses that pass near his presentlocation, or the length of the line at the tell windows of a bank a fewblock away.

Using technology able to pinpoint a location to within a few feet, theinvention can sense the location of the user within a supermarket andoffer promotional or product information for items shelved in the aislewhere the user is presently located.

The method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

1. Providing the user with a first signal transmitting means capable oftransmitting a first signal and a second signal receiving means forreceiving a second signal;

2. Providing a first signal receiving means for receiving said firstsignal at a location remote from said user;

3. Providing a location-determining means for determining from saidfirst signal or the place of reception of said first signal anapproximate location of the user;

4. Providing a computer system having access to location-based ortime-based information concerning products or services, said systembeing connected to said first signal receiving means and said systembeing connected to a second signal transmitting means;

5. Transmitting said first signal;

6. Receiving said first signal;

7. Determining from said first signal an approximate location of saiduser;

8. Optionally determining from said first signal a need of said user fora product or service;

9. Determining an approximate time said first signal was sent;

10. Reviewing said location-based or time-based information inconsideration of said approximate location or said approximate time andusing said optionally determined need to generate a recommendation to betransmitted to said user; and

11. Transmitting said recommendation via said second signal transmittingmeans.

The various means described above are well known in the art. Said firstsignal transmitting means may be a cellular telephone enabled to sendweb-based information by means of the Wireless Application Protocol(WAP). Said first signal receiving means may be a computer connected tothe cellular telephone network. Said second signal receiving means mayalso be said cellular telephone and said second signal transmittingmeans may be a computer connected to the cellular telephone network.Said location-determining means may be a GPS receiver or may be a meansresponsive to a location of a cellular telephone signal of sufficientlylow strength that the origin of said signal can be localized to within asmall radius, e.g. 100 yards.

In another embodiment, said first signal transmitting means and saidsecond signal receiving means may both be a personal client computerconnected to the Internet and said second signal transmitting means andsaid first signal receiving means may be a web server also connected tothe Internet.

In another embodiment, said second receiving means is distant from saidfirst transmitting means and said location information is transmitted toa third party. For example, the user may be a truck that is in transitand the product or service offering may be made to the home office ofthe company that operates the truck.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a computer system thatis able to send and receive information in communication with a devicethat is able to transmit location information and receive other data, asdescribed above.

It is a benefit of the present invention that advertising, messages andproduct and service offerings can be directed to individuals based onthe location of said individuals, thereby increasing the likelihood thatsaid individuals will be interested in and will purchase said productsand services.

It should be apparent that references to the Internet only comprise asubset of the potential embodiments of the present invention and thatall that is required is some means for communicating between individualand server computers. Said communication means may include, but are notlimited to, private leased networks, local area networks, wide areanetworks, cable television systems, cellular telephone systems, wirelesscommunication systems, infrared systems and satellite systems.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in theart that various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended thatthe present invention cover the modifications and variations of thisinvention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

1. A method of communicating inferred information to a wireless device,comprising: determining a location of the wireless device; inferring atleast one interest of a user of the wireless device based on thelocation of the wireless device, a time of day associated with thewireless device, and at least one user preference associated with thewireless device; and automatically transmitting data related to the atleast one interest to the wireless device; wherein inferring at leastone interest of the user based on location comprises using informationactively used by other wireless device users in the location of thewireless device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein inferring includesutilizing a profile of preferences of the user to infer the at least oneinterest of the user.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile ofpreferences of the user is obtained by ascertaining trends in selectionsmade by the user.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein inferring includesinferring information of interest to the wireless device based oninformation received from another wireless device.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a cellular phone.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein data related to the at least one interest istransmitted using Short Message Service (SMS).
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein additional information associated with the data related to theat least one interest is transmitted sequentially to the wireless deviceresponsive to at least one wireless device action.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the at least one wireless device action comprisesmaking a selection on the wireless device.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising: wherein the data related to the at least oneinterest transmitted to the wireless device comprises a listing ofrestaurants; wherein additional information comprising a menu featuredat a particular restaurant is transmitted to the wireless deviceresponsive to a selection of the particular restaurant on the wirelessdevice.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one wirelessdevice action comprises moving the wireless device within a distance ofat least one entity associated with the data related to the at least oneinterest.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: wherein thedata related to the at least one interest transmitted to the wirelessdevice comprises retail establishments within a vicinity of the wirelessdevice; wherein additional information comprising pricing information ofgoods sold at a particular retail establishment is transmitted to thewireless device responsive to movement of the wireless device within adistance of the particular retail establishment.
 12. A system ofcommunicating inferred information to at least one wireless device,comprising: at least one information originating entity configured tocommunicate with the at least one wireless device; and at least onedatabase storing wireless device information, the at least one databasebeing operably connected to the at least one information originatingentity and storing wireless device information; wherein the at least oneinformation originating entity is configured to infer at least oneinterest of a user of the at least one wireless device based on alocation associated with the wireless device, a time of day associatedwith the wireless device, and at least one user preference associatedwith the wireless device; wherein the at least one informationoriginating entity automatically transmits data related to the at leastone interest to the at least one wireless device; and wherein the atleast one interest of the user based on the location associated with thewireless device comprises information actively used by other wirelessdevice users in the location of the wireless device.
 13. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the at least one wireless device comprises a cellularphone.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the information originatingentity transmits data related to the at least one interest using ShortMessage Service (SMS).
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein additionalinformation associated with the data related to the at least oneinterest is transmitted sequentially to the at least one wireless deviceresponsive to at least one wireless device action.
 16. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one wireless device action comprisesmaking a selection on the wireless device.
 17. The system of claim 15,wherein the at least one wireless device action comprises moving thewireless device within a distance of at least one entity associated withthe data related to the at least one interest.
 18. A program productcomprising: a storage medium having program code embodied therewith, theprogram code comprising: program code configured to interact with atleast one information originating entity, the at least one informationoriginating entity being configured to communicate with at least onewireless device; and program code configured to receive data related toat least one inferred interest of a user of the at least one wirelessdevice automatically transmitted by the information originating entity,wherein the at least one inferred interest is based on a locationassociated with the wireless device, a time of day associated with thewireless device, and at least one user preference associated with thewireless device; and wherein the at least one inferred interest of theuser based on the location associated with the wireless device comprisesinformation actively used by other wireless device users in the locationof the wireless device.